ASF were chosen to develop and manufacture bespoke and highly decorative bronze tree grilles for NOMA, a 20-acre mixed-use redevelopment scheme in the centre of Manchester.

ASF had already manufactured stainless steel tree grilles for NOMA, and as such were approached by Planit Design and The Casey Group to develop and manufacture bespoke and highly decorative bronze tree grilles.

ASF was tasked with specifying the manufacturing process for the grilles and the grade of bronze that would be most suited for the project. Whilst the ductility makes the bronze very durable, it also means it can bend out of shape relatively easily so the next challenge was to design a sub-frame that would offer the necessary support. It was decided that a simple ladder frame be manufactured – consisting of heavy duty box section supports seated in an angle outer support frame.

Additional support was needed for the delicate areas of the design, so the bronze was mounted on a sheet of black coated steel that was then laser profiled to match the intricate design of the visible bronze tree grille.

To fix the whole structure together, ASF had security fixings bespoke manufactured in the same grade of bronze as the grille tops, meaning that the fixings themselves would oxidise at the same rate and in the same colour pattern as the grilles.